Definitions for orkney islandsˈɔrk ni

Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word orkney islands.

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Orkney Islands(noun)

an archipelago of about 70 islands in the North Atlantic and North Sea off the northeastern coast of Scotland

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Orkney Islands(ProperNoun)

A group of islands off north-east Scotland.

Orkney Islands(ProperNoun)

The region of Scotland comprising these islands.

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Orkney Islands

Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in northern Scotland, 16 kilometres north of the coast of Caithness. Orkney comprises approximately 70 islands of which 20 are inhabited. The largest island, known as the "Mainland" has an area of 523.25 square kilometres making it the sixth largest Scottish island and the tenth-largest island in the British Isles. The largest settlement and administrative centre is Kirkwall.
The name "Orkney" dates back to the 1st century BC or earlier, and the islands have been inhabited for at least 8,500 years. Originally occupied by Mesolithic and Neolithic tribes and then by the Picts, Orkney was invaded and forcibly annexed by Norway in 875 and settled by the Norse. The Scottish Parliament then re-annexed the earldom to the Scottish Crown in 1472, following the failed payment of a dowry for James III's bride, Margaret of Denmark. Orkney contains some of the oldest and best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe, and the "Heart of Neolithic Orkney" is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Orkney is a county of Scotland and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland.
Orkney is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. The local council is Orkney Islands Council, one of only three Councils in Scotland with a majority of elected members who are independents.